Donation will fund scholarships for women pursuing careers in the fire service or EMS

7/7/2015 12:00 AM

COLLEGE STATION - The Anne McCormick Sullivan Foundation has awarded the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) up to $15,000 to support training for women in fire and emergency response programs.

The foundation is named for Anne McCormick Sullivan, who died in the Line-of-Duty on May 31, 2013, during the 5-alarm Southwest Inn fire in Houston, along with three fellow firefighters, following a roof collapse.

The donation will provide financial reimbursement to outstanding current female students in the TEEX Firefighter Recruit Academy, EMT or Paramedic programs. Students must be U.S. citizens to be eligible for the scholarship and tuition reimbursement. The recipients will be selected by the foundation once they have successfully completed their certification.

“We are honored that the Anne McCormick Sullivan Foundation has chosen TEEX to be one of their partners in training and educating female first responders,” said Chief Robert Moore, Division Director. “We offer some of the best entry-level firefighting training available anywhere and have trained nearly 4,400 firefighters since 1971.”

The foundation hopes to increase the number of women in the fire service by giving opportunities to those who are pursuing education and training in the firefighting industry. As stated on its website: “Anne was so passionate about firefighting, and to be able to encourage and support fellow women who have the same passion, would allow Anne's legacy to live on.”

About the Foundation

The Anne McCormick Sullivan Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 2014 after the Southwest Inn fire tragically took the lives of four Houston firefighters, including Anne. The Foundation was started in her name with the purpose of assisting women in pursuit of a career in professional firefighting. www.AMSfoundation.com

About the Brayton Fire Training Field

The nearly 300-acre Brayton Fire Training Field is one of the world’s largest live-fire training facilities and includes some of the largest and most realistic fire training and search and rescue props in the world. Students can receive hands-on training on a loading terminal, process unit, chemical complex, aerial cooler, crude oil by rail, aircraft, ship and more. Rescue props include those designed for confined space and high-angle rescue, as well as towers and even a derailed passenger train. Hazardous materials training include a hazmat chemical complex, tanker cars and 2,300-foot underground pipeline training prop with eight above-ground training stations. TEEX is a member of The Texas A&M University System.